With one in five Americans developing skin cancer by the age of 70, it’s important to know the riskfactors and preventative measures you can take each and every day to protect yourself.

Skin cancer is the out-of-control growth of abnormal cells in the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin) caused by unrepaired DNA damage that triggers mutations. These mutations lead the skin cells to multiply rapidly and form malignant tumors. The main types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma (the most deadly and most common), and Merkel cell carcinoma.

The two main causes of skin cancer are the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, and the use of UV tanning machines. If you’ve used a tanning bed before the age of 35, you’ve increased your risk of developing skin cancer by 75%. Tanning, whether indoors or outdoors, changes and ages all types of skin. Tanning beds do not offer a safe alternative to sunlight, so using them before a vacation to get the ever popular “base tan” will only cause more skin damage and increase one’s chances for developing skin cancer.

Even if you don’t use tanning beds, you may still be at an increased risk for developing skin cancer simply depending on what state you live in. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Utah has the highest rates of skin cancer nationwide, and Utahns are at higher risk for melanoma than people living in Florida, California, or Texas. UV radiation from the sun not only causes premature aging and skin cancer, it can even reach you when you’re trying to avoid it. UV rays can penetrate clouds and glass, making you susceptible to sunburn even in the car with the windows rolled up. UV rays also bounce off snow, water, and sand, making you more susceptible while you’re doing theactivities you love!

The best way to protect yourself from sunburns and from developing skin cancer is to practice sun safety including wearing a broad spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, avoiding tanning beds, wearing protective clothing when outside for extended periods of time, and getting yearly skin screenings. If you do get a sunburn, you can follow these 5 tips to feel better fast:
Act fast to cool it down. Take a dip in a lake or river for a few seconds to cool your skin. Then get out of the sun immediately and cool the burn with a cold compress. A cold shower works too! Do not apply ice directly to the burn.

Moisturize when skin is damp. Use a gentle moisturizing lotion, not petroleum or oil-based ointments which trap the heat and make the burn worse.

Decrease inflammation. Ibuprofen or aspirin will help with discomfort and inflammation.

Replenish your fluids. Burns draw fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of the body, so you may become dehydrated. Rehydrate with water or sports drinks to replenish electrolytes.

See a doctor if you develop blistering over a large portion of the body, have a fever, or chills. Donot scratch or pop blisters which can lead to infection.

Moab Regional Hospital (MRH) is currently offering low-cost skin screenings to the community through the end of the summer. A skin cancer screening is a visual exam of the skin that can be done by yourself or a healthcare provider. The benefit of having a skin screening done by a doctor is they know exactly what to look for, which moles are normal, and which moles may be cancerous and should be removed.

Early detection can save lives – skin cancer is the cancer you can see because it forms on the outside of the body and is usually visible, making skin screenings an important and easy way to protect your body.

The low-cost skin screening offered by MRH is a skin cancer screening examination only. Providers will not treat any identified irregularities during this appointment. If any areas of concern are identified, patients will be advised to seek follow-up care with a primary care provider, dermatologist, or surgeon. Appointments are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays and cost $40, payable at the time of service as MRH will not be billing insurance for this low-cost special.

Appointments can be made by calling the MRH Specialty Clinic at 435-719-5500, option 2.

I used to have a bookcase full of self-help books. You know what I mean. Maybe you have the same thing.

You read one and try some of what it says, or if you are really desperate, maybe all. And things get better. A little.
So you repeat the cycle. And each one helps. A little.
Maybe you go to a therapist or two. And it helps. A little.
You vent to all your friends. And it helps. A little.

I was doing these things because I am all about progress. But I wasn’t making any.

Then I got cancer.
And it helped me see what I WAS NOT going to do anymore. A lot.
But I still couldn’t see what I WAS needing to do. Or even what options I had.

One day a friend told me about a class I could go to that might help me figure some things out. And it helped. Quite a bit.
But what finally broke the barrier? When I hired a mentor.

She helped me see so many more options than I ever thought were possible. She helped me lower the intensity of my emotions so I didn’t have explosive pressure building up inside nor emotional vomit spewing out all over those around me.

She helped me see a path right there in front of me. And it wasn’t out of reach. It was really just right there in front of me. It just needed one step at a time. And it started right where I already was.

I’ve done some hard things and I’ve done some fun things that I would have missed out on without some added perspective.

One of the things I have done is eliminate about 90% of the self-help books from my bookcase. Seriously, I can’t get rid of all of them. I mean there’s always improvement needed, right?

Some others: I create more art, I use a budget, I have a job that’s fun, and I started my own business.

You see, my mentor is not the hero in my story. I am. She was the guide for a while. There were other guides before her. There have already been several since her. But she helped me break through some critical barriers (hint: They were all me!) and my life is happier and more productive because I went to her.

It helped me so much that I BECAME A MENTOR!

Give me a call if you are ready to move along a better path and could use a guide to help you get started. I would love to help you. My number is 435-260-9232.